Immigrant and refugee ministry: the sermon in their language

Who we mean

Churches across the country walk alongside newcomers in many ways. Some co-sponsor refugee families with a resettlement agency. Some host English classes for immigrants from Central America. Some welcomed Ukrainian families through sponsorship programs, or Afghan families who arrived after 2021. Others simply notice that the apartment complex down the road is full of families from Venezuela, Congo, Burma or Eritrea, and start showing up.

These newcomers are often people of deep faith. Many were active members of churches back home. What they lack is not belief but language, and on Sunday morning that can make them feel like guests in a house that is supposed to be theirs.

What changes for a newcomer

With ChurchTranslate, a Ukrainian mother scans the QR code on the bulletin, taps Українська and hears the sermon in Ukrainian through her earbuds, with captions on her phone. Her teenage son, whose English is improving fast, turns off the audio and keeps only the captions, with the original English text alongside so he can learn from it. A grandmother from Guatemala listens in Spanish. A Congolese father chooses Swahili or French.

Nobody needs an account, an app or a password. It runs in the browser on the phone they already have. For families who do not have a US phone plan yet, the church Wi-Fi is enough; otherwise it uses some mobile data. Put the Wi-Fi name and password right next to the QR code.

What your ministry team does

1. 01
   Ask, then choose the languages

   Ask the families what language they want to hear a sermon in. It is not always the obvious one: some Afghans prefer Persian, some Congolese prefer French over Swahili. Then switch those languages on in the church settings.

2. 02
   Make the QR code easy to find

   Print it on a card at the door, show it on screen before the service and add it to the bulletin. A volunteer who speaks the language can walk first-time visitors through it.

3. 03
   Start the broadcast

   Your sound tech starts the broadcast from a laptop or phone, ideally with a feed from the sound board. The audio setup guide explains the options.

4. 04
   Check in after a few weeks

   Ask the families what they think. They are the best judges of whether names, terms and tone come through in their language.

Languages: what is there and what is not

ChurchTranslate covers 79 languages, and many that newcomers to the US speak are among them: Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, Persian (Farsi), French, Swahili, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Urdu and more. Some, like Burmese, Kinyarwanda and Amharic, carry a Beta label: they work, but have fewer resources behind them, so test with a native speaker before a real service.

Be honest about what translation can and cannot do

Live AI translation helps people follow a worship service. It is not pastoral care, and it is not case management. When someone wants to talk about trauma, grief, an immigration hearing, a medical decision or baptism, a person who speaks their language, or a professional interpreter, is far better. Translation software can help a family find its place in your church. The friendships and conversations that follow still need people.

The quality is good enough to follow a sermon, prayers and announcements, but Bible names and church terms can occasionally come out oddly. A family from an Orthodox or Catholic background may hear terms that sound unfamiliar in an evangelical service, or the other way around. Telling them up front that the translation is automatic sets the right expectations.

Beyond Sunday morning

Churches also use it for ESL night announcements, parent meetings for VBS, membership classes and information evenings with a resettlement partner, as long as someone speaks into a microphone and a broadcast is running. Because credits are only used while someone listens, an extra evening only costs the minutes you use.

What it costs

Say you translate a 75-minute service into Spanish and Ukrainian every week: 150 credits a Sunday, about 600 a month. The Duo plan ($100 a month, 960 credits, two languages) covers it with room for an extra event. A church serving one language group can start on Lite at $65 a month. Some churches share the cost with a missions budget or a refugee ministry fund. Details are on the pricing page.